Bitch Media - reality tvhttp://bitchmagazine.org/taxonomy/term/9698/0
enWith Her Own Reality Show, Caitlyn Jenner Aims to Ease the Lives of All Trans Peoplehttp://bitchmagazine.org/post/with-her-own-reality-show-caitlyn-jenner-aims-to-make-the-lives-of-all-trans-people-better
<p><img src="/sites/default/files/u2583/29cait-superjumbo.jpg" alt="" width="670" height="370" /></p>
<p><em>Caitlyn and Kylie Jenner in a scene from the first episode of new "docu-series" </em>I Am Cait<em>.&nbsp;</em></p>
<p>From the moment she announced her intention to transition, <a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/post/im-hopeful-but-worried-about-media-coverage-of-bruce-jenners-gender" target="_blank">trans activists and allies worried about how Caitlyn Jenner</a> would comport herself in the role of "the most famous trans person alive." These fears stemmed largely from her <a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/will-caitlyn-jenner-school-republicans-on-trans-rights-20150611" target="_blank">Republican politics</a> and her participation in the Kardashian media empire, an operation known for spinning reality shows out of nothing, and favoring spectacle to substance.&nbsp;</p>
<p>For this reason, though Caitlyn conducted herself with candor, dignity, and evident social conscience in <a href="http://www.pqmonthly.com/the-interview-bruce-jenner-shares-his-trans-truth/22501" target="_blank">her Diane Sawyer interview</a> and her ESPY's award speech, I had a sense of dread regarding <em>I Am Cait</em>, her E! network docu-series (a reality show by any other name). Since the show is produced by the same team and airs on the same network as <em>Keeping Up with the Kardashians</em>, I wondered whether this new show could handle the manifold sensitive issues surrounding transgender identities and the trans community without lapsing into the superficiality and sensationalism the K crowd is known for.&nbsp;</p>
<p>If Sunday's pilot episode <a href="http://www.eonline.com/now/i-am-cait" target="_blank">"Meeting Cait</a>" is representative, the answer is "yes." The show is an intriguing blend of trans activism, celebrity, and familial pain. I found the pilot to be gripping, splashy, and occasionally quite raw.&nbsp;</p>
<p>"Meeting Cait" begins with a bleary eyed Jenner confessing her fears to the camera after a sleepless night. Acknowledging her privileges and platform—resources she knows most trans folk lack—she says she wants to "make a difference in the world," and that, "I hope I get it right."&nbsp; From there, the viewer is swept into the moment Jenner's <em>Vanity Fair</em> cover dropped. Surrounded by stylists and publicists, she appears giddy at the whirlwind her photos created. Stepdaughter Kim calls to alert Jenner that she's set to eclipse President Obama's twitter record for quickest account to attain a million followers. It's a great opening, demonstrating how impossible it is to separate Jenner's drama, which is quite real, from the curious world of celebrity, which magnifies, and perhaps cheapens, her every move.</p>
<p>The bulk of the episode involves Jenner meeting her mom and sisters for the first time as Caitlyn. The scenes are powerful, and, at times, painful. Riding in a car to Jenner's house, the visitors discuss Jenner's past, misgendering her the entire time. One sister recalls Caitlyn telling her about her identity, decades ago, but says she never followed up about it. "I thought counseling could help," she says—meaning help Caitlyn not be trans.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Jenner invites a "gender expert," Susan Landor, to help facilitate their talk. At one point, Caitlyn's mom, clearly worried, asks Landor about the Bible verse forbidding men from wearing women's clothes, and asks her for an interpretation. Landor replies that, to her, Caitlyn is a woman and always has been. These scenes, in their awkwardness, illustrate how deep transphobia's reach still goes in our culture. The love Jenner's family feels for her is obvious, but it does little to mitigate the discomfort they display. Acceptance is all Caitlyn asks of her family, though in her private moments, she worries whether she'll receive even that.</p>
<p>The show's high point, in terms of star wattage, comes with a visit by Kim and Kanye. Kanye lauds Jenner's courage, saying, "You couldn't have been up against more, and you're like, 'Fuck everybody. This is who I am.'" Kim and Caitlyn bond with a trip to Caitlyn's closet, where she shows off the free designer clothes she's received, and—discovering she and ex-wife Kris have the same dress—the two hatch a prank to create a "Who Wore it Best" contest between the former spouses.</p>
<p><img src="/sites/default/files/u2583/caitjenner.jpg" alt="" width="670" height="410" /></p>
<p>Midway through "Meeting Cait," Caitlyn shows her mom a video about Kyler Prescott, a <a href="http://www.advocate.com/politics/transgender/2015/05/25/san-diego-mourns-third-trans-teen-die-suicide" target="_blank">San Diego trans teen who'd killed himself recently</a>. She talks about her own near suicide attempt and plans a visit to Prescott's family. Seeing her hunched over a laptop, learning about trans tragedies and reciting the horrible statistics about violence against trans women, it occurred to me her show could never have been a Kardashian-style spectacle. When trans people transition, in my experience, they face two overwhelming questions: "What happened to my life, that I spent it, until now, closeted and ashamed?" and "Am I going to be safe as myself?" For answers we go to the internet, and, more often than not, become politicized. From the previews of upcoming episodes, we see that journey is one Jenner takes. Except that being in possession of both a huge production budget and unlimited cultural influence, her journey occurs mainly in real life, as opposed to online.</p>
<p>"Meeting Cait" ends with another mashup of the ridiculous and sublime. On the way to San Diego to meet the Prescotts, Jenner switches cars twice to lose the paparazzi, noting that a photo of her at the time was selling for $250,000. Soon she's chatting with Kyler's mom, who tells her it wasn't bullying that drove her son to kill himself, but, "people in society" who couldn't understand how important it was for him to be addressed by his affirmed name and male pronouns. Jenner listens sympathetically, before asserting the need to change things and fight the stigmas that lead to trans youth suicide.</p>
<p>Optimism and fighting challenges appear to be Caitlyn's default mode—which explains both her Olympic decathlon victory and the show's mostly sunny tone. While the scenes with her mom and sisters felt achingly real, they did not lead to soul-searching confessions or emergency therapy appointments. Everything in <em>I Am Cait</em> feels substantive and it all proceeds briskly, and with a sense of purpose.</p>
<p>Quite often, while watching "Meeting Cait," one might find occasion to ask, "Why was this filmed?" Since it’s a reality TV show, the answers that spring to mind are the familiar ones: money, fame, the decline of civilization, etcetera. &nbsp;Despite asking the question myself several times, and wondering how much of what transpired was authentic, I was glad the family’s personal moments were being made public. Maybe the scene with Jenner watching the video of Kyler Prescott was staged—a production assistant could very likely have found the video about Kyler and asked Caitlyn to watch it. But even then, she<em> did </em>watch it and now so have the millions of people who watched her TV show. Staged or not, we all made the connection together between one famous, privileged, white trans woman, and a trans teen who killed himself, and the trans women Caitlyn mentioned who'd been murdered.</p>
<p>Caitlyn Jenner is taking a journey many trans people have taken before, a fact she often acknowledges. By sharing the journey and showing the pain and sorrow inherent in it to a vast audience, she's likely making the path less lonely and cold for the people who will follow. That’s cause to rejoice. Caitlyn Jenner said she hoped she'd "get it right." So far, I'd say she has. I hope that in future episodes, the show continues to use Jenner's platform to highlight the lives of trans people with less privilege than her.&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Related Reading: <a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/post/the-word-cisgender-is-now-in-the-oxford-english-dictionary" target="_blank">The Word Cisgender Is Now in the Oxford English Dictionary.</a></em></p>
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<p><em><a href="https://twitter.com/leelaginelle" target="_blank">Leela Ginelle</a>&nbsp;is a trans woman playwright and journalist whose work appears in PQ Monthly, Bitch, and the Advocate.&nbsp;</em></p>
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http://bitchmagazine.org/post/with-her-own-reality-show-caitlyn-jenner-aims-to-make-the-lives-of-all-trans-people-better#commentscaitlyn jennerreality tvtrans issuesTVThu, 30 Jul 2015 00:11:10 +0000Leela Ginelle32550 at http://bitchmagazine.orgSkip "The Bachelor" and Watch "UnReal"http://bitchmagazine.org/post/skip-the-bachelor-and-watch-unreal
<p><img src="/sites/default/files/u2583/ur_101_08072014_jd_0664.jpg" alt="" width="670" height="440" /></p>
<p><em>On </em>UnReal<em>, Constance Zimmer plays Quinn, a reality show producer who manipulates contestants' lives for maximum drama.&nbsp;</em></p>
<p>Lifetime's newest scripted series, <em><a href="http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/unreal/video/full-episodes" target="_blank">UnReal</a></em>, is a deliciously cynical behind-the-scenes look at the absurdity and horror of reality TV. On the set of the fictional show <em>Everlasting</em>– a thinly veiled stand-in for <em>The Bachelor—</em>competitors offer sexual favors in order to have their rivals eliminated, a young woman is held hostage on the set while a family tragedy unfolds at home, and Black women are told the only way they can stay on the show is if they pander to racist stereotypes.</p>
<p><em>UnReal</em> is presented through the point of view of a reluctant <em>Everlasting&nbsp;</em>producer, Rachel Goldberg (Shiri Applebee), a self-identifying feminist who was driven to the edge during the shooting of a previous season. Rachel’s meltdown had legal and financial consequences, and she's forced to go back to the scene of the crime in order to keep her head above water. Rachel and her boss, executive producer Quinn King (Constance Zimmer), share a Stockholm Syndrome-esque dependency on the drama and dysfunction that infuse the set of <em>Everlasting</em>. Both women know on an intellectual level that what they are doing—manipulating vulnerable women, manufacturing hurtful conflict for the sake of “good TV,” enforcing unrealistic body image standards—is wrong. But they can't help themselves. They are addicted.</p>
<p><img src="/sites/default/files/u2583/rachel.jpg" alt="" width="670" height="440" /></p>
<p><em>Rachel Goldberg (Shiri Applebee) feels trapped in her job as a reality TV producer.&nbsp;</em></p>
<p>Sarah Gertrude Shapiro, who co-created <em>UnReal </em>with veteran TV producer Marti Noxon, is a former <em>Bachelor </em>producer herself. She was so traumatized by her work on the reality show that she packed up and left the state of California—the only way she could get out of her contract was to move out of state. While Shapiro insists that <em>UnReal</em> is “100 percent fiction,” she's heard from people still working in the industry who see it as “scary accurate.”&nbsp;</p>
<p>“It's such a rich world to set a show in, because it's funny and fantastic and full of glitter and sparkles and ponies, but it's also really dark and really human,” Shapiro says of <em>UnReal.</em> “It's this fishbowl where all these people are looking for love and they can't leave. The contestants and the producers, all of those characters are stuck in one place with each other. It's a great place to set that Faustian tale.” It's interesting to see this dark commentary airing on Lifetime, which makes its bread and butter from reality shows like <em>Dance Moms </em>and <em>Hoarders</em>.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The romantic psychodramas of <em>UnReal</em> extend beyond the fantastical set of <em>Everlasting</em>. Quinn is having an affair with the show's creator, a dude who took credit for her idea without giving her any stake. Meanwhile, Rachel is still reeling from a brief fling with a cameraman (whose fiance also works on the show) and getting dangerously close to the man the women of <em>Everlasting</em>&nbsp;are competing for: blue-blooded British playboy Adam Cromwell.</p>
<p>Adam's motivations for signing onto <em>Everlasting&nbsp;</em>have nothing to do with the “true love” that Quinn commands her staff to manufacture. Rather, being on the reality show is an act of childish rebellion against his disapproving father and an opportunity to get the attention of deep-pocketed investors for a vineyard he wants to open. Still, Adam isn't a monster, and he is put through the ringer as much as the contestants are.</p>
<p><img src="/sites/default/files/u2583/ur_107_08072014_jd_0512.jpg" alt="" width="670" height="450" /></p>
<p>It's clear that the writers of <em>UnReal </em>see the title “producer” as a neat stand-in for “manipulator.” On numerous occasions, show staffers encourages each other to “produce” a given person in order to trick them into doing something that is likely not in their best interests. This game—earning and immediately exploiting the trust of people who depend on you—plays out like an infectious body-snatching disease on the set of the show: It's either be the monster or get eaten by it.</p>
<p>“In becoming an adult, you have to make a lot of compromises,” Shapiro says. “For me, it's about zoning in on those moments where the compromise goes too far.”</p>
<p>At its season's midpoint, <em>UnReal'</em>s darkest storyline involves <em>Everlasting&nbsp;</em>contestant Mary, a single mother and domestic abuse survivor who is slightly older than the rest of the contestants and who suffers from bipolar disorder, which she manages with medication (until she doesn't, but we won't give too much away). She's a gorgeous woman with a body any 22-year-old would kill for, but is immediately pigeonholed by the show's staff—and consequently the viewers—as a desperate, saggy old hag.</p>
<p>Asked if relegating a woman of model-quality looks to the reject pile was an intentional commentary, Shapiro said it absolutely was. “The idea that they are calling her an old saggy sack is absurd,” she says.&nbsp; “It's really about the male gaze. Rachel and Quinn are forced to adopt the male gaze because they are trading in it. That's their commerce. They've learned how to look at women like men look at women. They've learned how to evaluate women the way men evaluate women."&nbsp;</p>
<p>Shapiro says that one of her hopes for <em>UnReal </em>is that it will help women realize how much we are complicit in endorsing the warped perspective of TV that caters to bottom-feeder desires. “The secret I want to unlock is how if all of us women decided to stop doing that... we could actually change the world.”&nbsp;</p>
<p>The show's commentary on race is harder to unlock.&nbsp; After 19 seasons of&nbsp;<em>The Bachelor </em>and 11 seasons of <em>The Bachelorette, </em>the shows&nbsp;have had&nbsp;<a href="http://nypost.com/2013/08/06/abcs-the-bachelor-chooses-first-minority-star/">only one person</a> of color&nbsp;in the title roles. And they only signed on that person, soccer player Juan Pablo Galavis, after two Black men <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/monkeysee/2012/10/16/162992776/a-judge-dismisses-the-bachelor-discrimination-lawsuit-but-not-its-concerns">filed a discrimination lawsuit</a> pointing out that the show was all-white. Since its premiere episode, it has seemed as though <em>UnReal</em> wants to say something about the racist elements of <em>The Bachelor </em>and its ilk, but at the moment that something seems to be: “Well of course an eligible blue-blooded bachelor wouldn't go for a Black woman, so the Black contestants might as well milk their 15 minutes of fame for all its worth.” Asked if we could expect <em>UnReal</em> to further address the racial and class dynamics of popular reality competition shows, Shapiro says, “I think it's going to get worse. And it's something we want to address more in season two.”</p>
<p>The <em>Bachelor</em>&nbsp;has been on the air for 19 seasons and between <em>The Bachelor</em> and <em>The Bachelorette</em>, four couples who met on the shows have gotten married. Still, the reality show continues to be a ratings powerhouse for ABC, long after the jig has been up: Contestants and viewers can in no way suspend their disbelief that the series is anything but a twisted charade. Why do we keep coming back, season after ridiculous, humiliating season?</p>
<p>“They tapped into the cracked-out, crazy fiend in all of us for the princess fantasies,” Shapiro said. “This idea that if you're pretty enough and skinny enough someone will come save you, and that's all it takes, is so intoxicating.”&nbsp;</p>
<p>In doing research for <em>UnReal</em>, Shapiro and her team found that this kind of programming is popular among women who we wouldn't traditionally think of as needing to be “saved.”&nbsp;</p>
<p>“We found that super educated, really successful women love shows like <em>The Bachelor.</em> I have this image of a woman working 90 hours a week at a law firm trying to make partner, coming home and thinking, 'Hell yeah I want to be flown around in a helicopter just because I'm cute,'” she said. “I think that's really appealing, especially to people who are battling their own way through the world.”</p>
<p><em>Related Reading: </em><a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/post/burning-love-review-great-reality-tv-spoof-the-bachelor" target="_blank">Burning Love is the Reality Dating Show Spoof You've Long Desired</a></p>
<p><em><a href="https://www.twitter.com/ellenkilloran" target="_blank">Ellen Killoran</a> is a Brooklyn-based journalist who writes about pop culture and the entertainment industry.&nbsp;</em></p>
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http://bitchmagazine.org/post/skip-the-bachelor-and-watch-unreal#commentsreality tvTVMon, 13 Jul 2015 20:53:11 +0000Ellen Killoran32420 at http://bitchmagazine.orgPopaganda Episode: Guilty Pleasureshttp://bitchmagazine.org/post/popaganda-episode-guilty-pleasures
<p><a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/blogs/feminist-podcast" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8134/8701376773_54a627ac5f_o.jpg" alt="popaganda feminist podcast" width="500" height="91" /></a></p>
<p><em>Game of Thrones</em>, Taylor Swift, <em>Scandal</em>—oh my! So much of the pop culture we consume is a guilty pleasure—media we're a little embarrassed to admit we kinda love. Some guilty pleasures are truly shlock. But at the same time, what's considered highbrow media is colored by race, class, and gender. Pop culture made by and for women is often treated less seriously than books, movies, and TV shows that are all about men.&nbsp;</p>
<p>On this podcast episode, we explore what we consider guilty pleasures and how identity impacts what culture we consider worthwhile. The ladies of <a href="http://www.goodmuslimbadmuslim.com/" target="_blank">Good Muslim/Bad Muslim</a> confess their guilty pleasures, we hear from a reality TV producer about how shows like <em>The Real World</em> impact fiction writing, a <em>Game of Thrones</em> fan wonders when a guilty pleasure is no longer pleasurable, and <a href="https://twitter.com/jvic" target="_blank">Joshunda Sanders</a> phones in with her thoughts on <em>Scandal</em>. Plus, I talk with writer <a href="https://twitter.com/remember_sarah" target="_blank">Sarah Marshall</a> about our shared love of macho action movies and how the new <em>Mad Max</em> feels different. Listen in!&nbsp;</p>
<p>FULL SHOW:&nbsp;</p>
<p><iframe width="100%" height="450" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/206655042&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;visual=true"></iframe></p>
<hr />
<p>GOOD MUSLIM/BAD MUSLIM:&nbsp;</p>
<p><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/206654617&amp;color=ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false"></iframe></p>
<hr />
<p>GAME OF THRONES THOUGHTS:&nbsp;</p>
<p><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/206653995&amp;color=ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false"></iframe></p>
<hr />
<p>INTERVIEW ON FICTION AND REALITY TV:</p>
<p><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/206654401&amp;color=ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false"></iframe></p>
<hr />
<p>MACHO ACTION FILMS AND MAD MAX:</p>
<p><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/206716456&amp;color=ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false"></iframe></p>
<hr />
<p>CREDITS:&nbsp;</p>
<p>There are so many great people on this episode. Thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/TazzyStar" target="_blank">Taz Ahmed</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/ZahraNoo" target="_blank">Zahra Noorbakhsh</a> of <a href="http://www.goodmuslimbadmuslim.com/" target="_blank">Good Muslim/Bad Muslim</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/jvic" target="_blank">Joshunda Sanders</a>, writer <a href="https://twitter.com/@ekingc" target="_blank">Elizabeth King</a>, and unrepentant Arnold fan <a href="https://twitter.com/remember_sarah" target="_blank">Sarah Marshall</a>. The reality TV interview was originally featured on <em>Joyland </em>podcast <a href="https://www.prx.org/series/32929-truth-fiction" target="_blank">Truth and Fiction</a>. The photo of the deadly donut featured on this episode was taken by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/81607647@N00/5172768626/" target="_blank">Mathieu Thouvenin</a>. Music for this episode comes from&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sessions.blue/" target="_blank">Blue Dot Sessions</a>—check out their many&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sessions.blue/" target="_blank">acoustic tracks for film and media</a>.</p>
<hr />
<p>SPONSOR:&nbsp;</p>
<div class="content">
<p>This show is generously sponsored by&nbsp;<a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/post/bit.ly/osubitch" target="_blank">Oregon State University Ecampus</a>, which&nbsp;is ranked #5 on the 2015 list of America’s best online bachelor’s program by U.S. News. OSU&nbsp;Ecampus delivers nearly&nbsp;<a href="http://ecampus.oregonstate.edu/online-degrees/undergraduate/?utm_source=bmedia&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=wgss" target="_blank">20 undergraduate degrees</a>&nbsp;and programs online in liberal studies, natural resources, agricultural sciences and foreign languages. You can start any season,&nbsp;<a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/post/bit.ly/osubitch" target="_blank">so apply today</a>.</p>
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<p><strong>Download an&nbsp;<a href="https://soundcloud.com/bitch-media/guilty-pleasures" target="_blank">MP3 of this podcast</a>&nbsp;on Soundcloud o</strong><strong>r just browse our podcast archives&nbsp;<a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/blogs/feminist-podcast" target="_blank">here on Bitch Media</a>.&nbsp;</strong></p>
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http://bitchmagazine.org/post/popaganda-episode-guilty-pleasures#commentsfilmGame of ThronesMad Maxreality tvscandalFeminist PodcastFri, 22 May 2015 17:06:04 +0000Sarah Mirk31810 at http://bitchmagazine.orgNew Reality Show "Modern Dads" is Extremely Boringhttp://bitchmagazine.org/post/new-reality-show-modern-dads-is-extremely-boring
<p><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5544/9791901374_891d552bd9_o.png" alt="An ad for Modern Dads featuring a guy wearing a tool belt full of baby toys" width="518" height="514" /></p>
<p><em><a href="http://www.aetv.com/modern-dads/about/" target="_blank">Modern Dads</a>&nbsp;</em>is a new reality television show on A&amp;E that follows the lives of four stay-at-home fathers in Austin, Texas. There have only been three episodes so far, but it probably won't last long because—spoiler alert—it's very boring.</p>
<p>The official description of the show promises "a group of guys who are unapologetically loud and riotously funny." They're "like a fraternity" except that they are "on 24/7 dad-duty." Which, when you think about it, isn't like a fraternity at all.</p>
<p>Like a lot of reality shows, <em>Modern Dads'</em> dialogue is over-scripted (particularly for the kids) and the half-hour show creeps along at a painfully slow pace. But the main problem with the show is that its whole premise is off. The hook is that a "tribe of child-rearing dudes" is so unconventional and strange that watching men try to chase toddlers and change diapers will be ready-made outlandish entertainment.</p>
<p>Apparently, A&amp;E missed the fact that we're decades past the point where a man doing regular parenting is so bizarre that it's a joke. The channel is trying to play on the <a href="http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/demise-doofus-dad-ads-141018" target="_blank">tired trope that men are "doofuses"</a> at the daily tasks of parenting, but the show falls flat because, surprise surprise, dads are actually totally capable of doing childcare.</p>
<p>Raising children is meaningful work, and if it's your child, the mundane tasks of parenting can even be fascinating. But if you're a great parent, day-to-day childrearing doesn't make for great television.&nbsp; If you've ever actually been an at-home parent, you know that days spent looking after children and doing endless loads of laundry tend to lack a narrative arc.&nbsp; "I love raising my son, but I'm like Bill Murray in&nbsp;<em>Groundhog Day</em>," says <em>Modern Dads</em>' Nate, reflecting on his week. When his wife asks what he and his son did all day, he struggles for a minute. "We went to the park and tonight I have poker night!"</p>
<p>Ah, poker night.</p>
<p>For decades,&nbsp;<a href="/tag/daddy-issues" target="_blank">TV dads</a>&nbsp;have been portrayed as hapless, overgrown children who can barely take care of themselves, let alone the kids. &nbsp;American pop culture has been heavily invested in portraying childrearing and housekeeping as a uniquely feminine pursuit. From Bill Cosby to Homer Simpson, TV dads have been <a href="/post/daddy-issues-the-mixed-blessings-of-dadvertising" target="_blank">portrayed as inept, childlike, and bumbling</a>.</p>
<p>Despite the producers' best efforts to create drama, the show never really gets off the ground, mostly because the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/television/2013/08/reality_show_modern_dads_reviewed.html" target="_blank">men are actually doing a good job</a>. They are competent. They can organize birthday parties and playdates, push kids on swings, proffer snacks and sippy cups, and make sure homework gets done. "I'm a house-hubby," says Sean. "I clean."&nbsp;</p>
<p><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2811/9791901584_466235c06c_o.jpg" alt="A bunch of dads and their kids camping on the show, looking normal and happy" width="600" height="400" /></p>
<p><em>Modern Dads: Doesn't this look zany and extreme?! No? Well. Okay.</em></p>
<p>To compensate for the lack of drama conjured up by days filled with dad scrubbing floors and wiping runny noses, the producers fall back on boiler-plate masculinity as the punch line. The men talk about their balls. "I don't know what hurts more, the balls of my feet or my actual balls," says Rick after the group goes for a run. Sean, whose girlfriend works at a tech start-up while he takes care of the two girls, attempts to soundproof his bedroom so that he and his girlfriend can continue to have "loud, athletic sex." Stone, the one father in the group who is divorced, says he "sexercises" every chance he gets, and his efforts to pick up women are made out to be a central highlight of the show.</p>
<p>This past week's episode revolved around an attempt to organize a guys poker night. Rick, a father of four, sits down to ask his wife for her permission to attend and she can barely suppress a giggle as she tells him that he can go if he cleans up the house. "I don't know if you've noticed, but the house is a mess," she says. "The stroller is filthy, and you need to do laundry."&nbsp;</p>
<p>This attempt to portray Rick as under his wife's thumb is played for comic effect, but the conflict quickly fizzles since the idea that she is micromanaging him is so thoroughly unbelievable. Furthermore, except for Stone, all of the dads are extremely appreciative of the hard work their wage-earning wives do. They are unanimously respectful and gracious.</p>
<p>In the end, <em>Modern Dads</em>&nbsp;is a great indicator that there has been at least some progress in perceptions of who should do what. Sure,&nbsp;in the real world,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.thenation.com/blog/168612/daddy-wars#" target="_blank">women with kids still spend way more time on childcare</a>&nbsp;than men with kids and are more likely to opt-out of careers to take care of their children. But it's not just a handful of radical fringe fathers who participate in childcare. About&nbsp;<a href="http://www.thenation.com/blog/168612/daddy-wars#" target="_blank">55 percent</a>&nbsp;of dads who work full time also do daily childcare and there are about&nbsp;<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/09/the-overhyped-rise-of-stay-at-home-dads/279279/" target="_blank">189,000 stay-at-home dads in the US</a>. &nbsp; As <em>Modern</em> <em>Dads</em>&nbsp;shows, men are perfectly capable of taking on the role of primary caregiver, and can take care of kids, cook meals, and clean the house with the best of them.</p>
<p>So the show is a yawn—and that's a good sign.</p>
<p><em>For more writing about portrayals of dads in pop culture, check out Bitch's 2012 <a href="/tag/daddy-issues" target="_blank">guest blog series "Daddy Issues."</a></em></p>
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http://bitchmagazine.org/post/new-reality-show-modern-dads-is-extremely-boring#commentsParentingreality tvTVTue, 17 Sep 2013 23:45:17 +0000Jill Moffett24121 at http://bitchmagazine.org"Burning Love" is the Reality Dating Show Spoof You've Long Desiredhttp://bitchmagazine.org/post/burning-love-review-great-reality-tv-spoof-the-bachelor
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Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading" ></w:LsdException> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <mce:style><! /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} --><!--[if gte mso 10]> <mce:style><! /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} --><!--[endif] --><!--[endif] --></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8540/8653032906_5d05ab13fb.jpg" alt="Burning Love cast" height="342" width="500" /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Last week, NBC premiered <a href="http://www.avclub.com/articles/ready-for-love,96321/"><em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ready for Love</em></a>, the latest bland iteration of reality dating shows. In the show, three interchangeable clean cut dudes pick from groups of interchangeable attractive women and hope to find true love. I can't tell you if they found it, because I could only keep the nausea down for about 40 minutes of&nbsp;<em>Ready for Love</em>'s 2 hour premiere.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Into this cynical landscape comes&nbsp;<em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://screen.yahoo.com/episode-1-limo-arrivals-223000876.html" target="_blank">Burning Love</a>,</em>&nbsp;a genius web series spoofing reality dating shows. Bizarrely, the show <a href="http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/01/28/burning-love-e/" target="_blank">just made the jump from web to E!</a>, so now the parody reality show will run on TV alongside reality shows that are unintentional parodies.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Created and written by Erica Oyama and directed by Ken Marino, <em>Burning Love</em>&nbsp;has been a spot-on satire of dating shows, primarily <em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Bachelor</em> and <em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Bachelorette.</em>&nbsp;Everything from the production value of the shots to the lavish communal home the contestants share to the convoluted date ideas (a puppet show! Exercising!)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>make you feel like you are actually watching a reality show.&nbsp;<em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Burning Love's</em> excruciating attention to detail in recreating <em>The Bachelor's </em>absurd ambiance is a crucial part of what makes the show such an enjoyable commentary on the toxic gender and dating norms many reality shows spread.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em>Burning Love</em>'s first season stars Ken Marino as the bachelor: Mark Orlando, a fireman looking for love. Marino, is brilliant as Mark, a walking parody of boringly handsome Bachelor archetype. He's a muscular dude who parades around shirtless, constantly working out and uttering mind-numbingly dumb dialogue. When he runs out of banter, he discusses getting laid and blatantly stares at contestants' chests.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mark's group of potential brides-to-be range from a teacher to an 86-year-old grandmother to a transgender dancer/pedicurist named Ballerina (played by Ken Jeong).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>The show constantly calls out everything ridiculous on these shows, pointing out the the lack of racial diversity and playing contestant stereotypes to the extreme. On the first season, for example, there's a "crazy bitch" Lexie (Beth Dover) who takes the role a little over the top: Instead of just being a fun-loving alcoholic, she's homicidal.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mark eventually confesses many times to not being into any of the contestants but just wants to sleep with them all.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the second season, the show stars&nbsp;Julie (June Diane Raphael), the "damaged by love" heroine. The potential future husbands fulfill a lineup of stereotypes from an overly devoted dad to Blaze (Ryan Hansen), the totally hot and completely noncommittal guy who has to constantly "bounce" due to other obligations like getting his mail.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When it comes time for Julie to pick her guy, she scream-cries, "So many men want to marry me!!" The show makes clear that all this spectacle is not about finding love as much as going through the act of it with absolutely anyone willing.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Beyond skewering the dating show, <em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Burning Love</em> serves as a comedic showcase for some great actresses who are under Hollywood's radar. June Diane Raphael (you may know her as Jess's lesbian doctor friend on <em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">New Girl</em>) as Julie is a complete powerhouse. She is unafraid to be completely awful, self-centered, and utterly clueless.&nbsp;Natasha Leggero is gold as Haley—a drunk, swearing, no pants-wearing contestant—as are Malin Ackerman, who plays a homeless woman who signed up as a contestant to get a place to sleep, and Janet Varney as a closeted lesbian whose mother has forced her into being on the show. Some of my favorite bigger-name actresses also make an appearance: Kristen Bell plays a devout Christian contestant and Christine Taylor has a role as a former, extremely disillusioned contestant.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://screen.yahoo.com/episode-1-limo-arrivals-223000876.html" target="_blank">Season three of <em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Burning Love</em> just began this past week</a>—judging from the first two seasons of <em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Burning Love</em>, the race to that $900 prize and hot tub sex will continue to be a hilarious, subversive look at the dregs of exploitative reality television. Here's the first episode from the new season:&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
http://bitchmagazine.org/post/burning-love-review-great-reality-tv-spoof-the-bachelor#commentsBurning Lovereality tvsexualityThe BachelorThe BacheloretteTVTue, 16 Apr 2013 23:57:51 +0000Kerensa Cadenas22235 at http://bitchmagazine.orgRuPaul's Drag Race: The Season Premiere's Best Moments Illustratedhttp://bitchmagazine.org/post/rupauls-drag-race-comics-recap
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.logotv.com/shows/rupauls_drag_race/season_5/series.jhtml" target="_blank">RuPaul's Drag Race</a>&nbsp;debuted its fifth season this week. If you've never watched the show, all you need to know is that it's the sparkling vision of glamazon mastermind, RuPaul. In this reality show that far makes Project Runaway look like crumbs on a cubicle desk. Fabulous men embody women, creating and presenting glittering outfits for judges. They make you shout at the screen, "Oh snap!" and, "Oh no, she didn't!" But she did! And her realness is sickening.</p>
<p>I illustrated six of my favorite moments from the season premiere. They are the moments of moments.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="padding-left: 120px;"><img style="vertical-align: middle;" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8224/8431359998_f6c992b4c3_k.jpg" alt="" width="409" height="2048" /></p>
<p style="padding-left: 120px;">&nbsp;</p>
<p>LOVE IT?! <a href="/post/rupauls-drag-race-season-two-illustrated-recap">Check out our comics recap of RuPaul's Drag Race episode two</a>!</p>
http://bitchmagazine.org/post/rupauls-drag-race-comics-recap#commentsDrag Queensreality tvRuPaul's Drag RaceTVWed, 30 Jan 2013 23:35:26 +0000Carolyn Main21132 at http://bitchmagazine.orgProject Runway Season 10: Avant-Garded http://bitchmagazine.org/post/project-runway-season-10-avant-garded-feminist-magazine-television-recaps-tim-gunn-heidi-zoe-saldana-fashion
<p>It was an avant-garde "electric fantasie" on last night's <em>Project Runway</em>, and if you don't know what that means don't worry—the designers had no clue either.</p>
<p><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8458/8057554383_a30089345d.jpg" alt="the five remaining designers standing in a fancy garden" /><br />
<em>This is not our beautiful house.</em></p>
<p><strong>The challenge:</strong> Create an avant-garde look for your "muse" based on a type of L'Oreal Electric Fantasie makeup. Also be inspired by a rando castle for no reason.</p>
<p>Guest judge: Zoe Saldana</p>
<p>The winner: Dmitry—no one knows what a "wise mystic" looks like, so why not put her in a tailored suit? </p>
<p>The auf'd: Sonjia. NOOO! Her "Adam &amp; Eve" gown was kind of a mess though. </p>
<p><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8040/8057566130_5d7a24d7c8.jpg" alt="Sonjia sketching under a tree" /><br />
<em>Miss you already, girl.</em></p>
<p><strong>Electric Fantasie? Really?</strong><br />
Ah, the avant-garde challenge, the inevitable episode on each season's Project Runway where we're reminded that while both judges and contestants really like to throw that phrase around, no one seems exactly clear on the meaning. There are those who interpret it as "more costumey than the Met Costume Ball, but less costumey than a Vegas-Disney mashup" (hellooo, Chris March!), and those who take it to mean that one part of a dress should be wildly exaggerated and make it difficult for the model to perform at least one bodily function (see: Christian Siriano, Kenley Collins). And then there are those who go with what I tend to feel is the definition that hews closest to the fashion world's version of avant-garde: Namely, they make shit angular, severe, and, most important, hella ugly.</p>
<p>And while obviously I will take all the Tim I can get, his hovering presence in the workroom this episode and queries about whether this or that was really flying the avant-garde flag high enough didn't really help matters. I fully agree that at this stage in PR's evolution the designers really should know what the phrase denotes, but, Gunn, write the definition on a sandwich board and walk it around the workroom if you're so concerned.</p>
<p>The real puzzle for me this episode was just how much the looks were really supposed to tie in to the product placement, L'Oreal's special-edition "Electric Fantasie" makeup collection. (Side note: Really? I feel like Electric Fantasie was the house band in one of the lesser, non-<em>Purple Rain</em> Prince movies, and if it wasn't it definitely should have been.) With the Enchanted Queen look assigned to Fabio and chosen by Chris, the outfits reflected their conception of the whole look, rather than just the colors. Melissa's Artsy Muse was artsy all right; she looked like a <a href="http://www.arcadja.com/auctions/en/nagel_patrick/artist/114022/"target="_blank">circa-1980 Patrick Nagel print</a> come to life. And Sonjia clearly took to heart the brief on her redundantly named Seductive Temptress, even if she was working from the Harlequin/Dynasty playbook of Seductive Temptresses...</p>
<p>Which is why, much as I love Dmitry, I did not buy his winning Wise Mystic look. Wise Executive Assistant, maybe. Wise Hot Stockbroker, almost definitely. But that structured, pointy suit, which elsewhere would have had Michael Kors screaming some combination of the words "Mugler power bitch fierceness insaaaaane!" did not say Mystic in the least. (Fabio's pants? Total Mystic-wear) Which suggests that, much like how the judges always say they judge each look on its own merits but judged this episode cumulatively, they are playing fast and loose with the episode's criteria with no regard for how inconsistent it makes the show look.</p>
<p>Like I can really muster much of a flounce here, though. I'll pour one out for the awesome and delightful Sonjia, who would have done better if her gold lamé hadn't gone missing, but other than that, bring on the final four!</p>
<p><strong>Assorted thoughts:</strong><br />
Fabio won this episode, if not with his outfit, than with his whole vibe. First of all, how clearly could you picture Fabio wearing his button-down shirts as pants? And second, his "stages of Tim Gunn's silence" reenaction could well unseat Santino Rice for the top seat in the Annals of Respectfully Spot-On Tim Gunn Mimickry.</p>
<p><strong>Next week:</strong><br />
Home visits! Yes! Can Swatch ride shotgun? </p>
<p><em>- Andi</em></p>
<p><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8461/8057554289_58eb52d9dc_o.jpg" alt="Sonjia and Fabio on the runway together" /><br />
<em>Sad Times at Parsons High.</em></p>
<p><strong>Avant-barf.</strong><br />
Allow me to take a page from <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2012/08/jonah_lehrer_plagiarism_in_wired_com_an_investigation_into_plagiarism_quotes_and_factual_inaccuracies_.html"target="_blank">Jonah Lehrer</a> and quote <a href="/post/project-runway-all-stars-feminist-television-recap-8"target="_blank">myself, circa seven months ago</a>: </p>
<blockquote><p>I love me an avant garde Project Runway challenge, but we were reminded again last night that none of the designers (or judges for that matter) have a clear idea what the term means... </p>
<p>Before we blame the designers for not knowing enough about fashion terminology, remember that the judges didn't appear to have a shared definition of avant garde either. Couldn't you have worked this out before the challenge, folks? Because your lack of clarity resulted in some looks that were kind of all over the place.</p></blockquote>
<p>A Disney villain in a power suit, a dancer of the seven banquet napkins, a model dressed as Edie Sedgwick for Halloween, a fortune teller in an upside-down jacket, and a steampunk goth lounge singer walk into a bar, and HOW WERE ALL OF THESE WACK LOOKS PART OF THE SAME CHALLENGE? I know how: No one has a clue what the phrase "avant-garde" means. Apparently it just means "new," but that's like saying it means "fashion" or "good": Everything these designers put down the runway is supposed to be unexpected and new—how was last night's challenge any different?</p>
<p>The lack of direction resulted in some of the worst looks we've seen this season. Seriously, <a href="/post/project-runway-season-10-dressing-up-baby-feminist-magazine-fashion-television-tim-heidi-elena-babies"target="_blank">bring back the babies</a>! The wonky "muse" instructions muddied the waters even further. (I'm with Andi—what the hell is a "wise mystic" and what would she wear on a runway?) I am a little worried about the final runway show because, without clear guidelines, the designers turned out some sub-par looks. Which reminds me...</p>
<p>Why is everyone pretending like it's only the final three designers who show at Fashion Week?! We all know that <a href="http://www.tomandlorenzo.com/2012/10/pr-elena-slivnyak-decoy-collection.html"target="_blank">at least the final eight designers get runway shows</a>, it's just that most of them aren't eligible to win. I get that it's kind of a letdown to have to make a collection knowing that you won't get that HP tablet they're always reminding us of, but when Sonjia says knows she'll "show at Fashion Week someday" my only response is, "Duh! You are going to show there in two months just like the final four designers!" It takes a little of the drama away, but at least I feel better knowing that my darling Sonjia will go on to sew once more.</p>
<p><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8462/8057554192_05abf5e15f.jpg" alt="the judges on the runway" /><br />
<em>Killing it.</em></p>
<p><strong>Assorted thoughts:</strong><br />
How great was the judging last night? I don't mean the part when they threw out the rulebook and decided to judge everyone cumulatively—that was bogus—I mean before that, when Michael Kors was saying things like, "It looks like Nancy Kerrigan skated through a banquet hall," and Nina Garcia dropped awesome truthbombs like, "When in doubt—don't go there!" Zoe Saldana was one of the best guest judges I can remember, too. She had real constructive criticism for the designers and a very clear point of view. Great job, judges.</p>
<p><strong>Next week:</strong><br />
Things I am looking for in the home visits: Freegan sculptures, ballroom dance trophies, and a secret hoarder. Fingers crossed!</p>
<p><em>- Kelsey</em></p>
<p><strong>The Gunn Show:</strong> As PR devotees know, this is Tim Gunn's world and we just live in it. Each week we pick our favorite Gunn moment (tell us yours too!). This week? When Gunny Sack looked upon the shitshow of a workroom and sagely declared, "This doesn't look it's going to happen. But it needs to." Wise words.</p>
<p><strong>Previously:</strong> <a href="/post/project-runway-season-10-dressing-up-baby-feminist-magazine-fashion-television-tim-heidi-elena-babies"target="_blank">Dressing Up Baby</a>, <a href="/post/project-runway-season-10-origami-rose-and-disco-turkey-feminist-magazine-television-ven-tim-gunn"target="_blank">Origami Rose and Disco Turkey on Stage for One Night Only!</a></p>
http://bitchmagazine.org/post/project-runway-season-10-avant-garded-feminist-magazine-television-recaps-tim-gunn-heidi-zoe-saldana-fashion#commentsProject Runwayreality tvrecapsTVFri, 05 Oct 2012 21:10:41 +0000Kelsey Wallace19194 at http://bitchmagazine.orgEnd of Gender: Bringin' Out the Bono http://bitchmagazine.org/post/what-would-you-do-transphobia-chaz-bono-media
<p>With hidden cameras and a hint of pedantry, ABC's primetime series <em>What Would You Do?</em> has tested society's comfort with everything from same-sex parents to public breastfeeding (see "Staged Fright," <a href="/issue/53"><em>Bitch</em> #53</a>). <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2012/05/patrons-defend-transgender-waitress-at-n-j-diner/">This week's segment</a> tackles transphobia and reveals what we already knew:&nbsp;No conversation about transgender people is complete without bringing out the Bono.</p>
<p>Chaz Bono, spawn of Cher, is the unlikely and <a href="http://supermattachine.wordpress.com/2011/09/19/why-chaz-bono-is-a-misogynist-who-does-not-represent-us/">often&nbsp;unwanted</a> poster child of transness. But his presence has an undeniable impact.</p>
<p><em>What Would You Do?</em> sets the scene at a small-town New Jersey diner. Former <em>RuPaul's Drag Race</em> contestant Carmen Carrera plays a trans waitress being verbally harrassment by Kevin, an actor who plays a transphobic customer. Kevin gives us a dose of transphobic douchebaggery, the cameras start rolling, and we watch and wait to see who will step in.</p>
<p>"What the hell is the matter with you? Look at yourself! You're a freak!" Kevin sputters.</p>
<p>One patron decides to step in. She drops her fork and stares Kevin down. She has to let Kevin know transphobia is so last year, that transgender people are ok—they're even the children of popstars. Yep, she has to bring out the Bono.</p>
<p>"Look at Chaz Bono," she says. "[Cher] used to have a daughter and now she's a guy."</p>
<p>Bono hasn't been a glowing example for the trans community. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9R1e62v_rw">His documentary, <em>Becoming Chaz</em></a>, makes him come off like a sandwich-eating, woman-hating stereotype, and <a href="http://feministing.com/2011/05/11/more-fail-in-the-ny-times-profile-of-chaz-bono-sexism-no-matter-who-says-it/">his insistence that gender is biologically programmed </a>erases the experiences of the many transgender people who feel otherwise.</p>
<p>But he's there. And despite his inaccurate and prescriptive views on gender, Bono's out-and-proud presence&nbsp;educates folks who hadn't known that transgender people existed until he danced his way onto reality TV.</p>
<p>Now when I tell people I'm transgender, they don't ask if I've "had the surgery." They don't ask whether I date boys or girls. They just want to know if I watch<em> Dancing With the Stars</em>. While Bono is certainly not an adequate representation of my experience or my community, I'm glad that folks have a way to show me that they're "hip to it."</p>
<p>Bringing out the Bono doesn't deter actor Kevin's transphobia on <em>What Would You Do?</em>, but the scene ends on a hopeful note. A dudely patron struts over to Kevin and tells him to leave Carmen alone or get out.</p>
<p>"It's okay to be whoever you want to be. This is America," the patron says.</p>
<p><a href="http://colorlines.com/archives/2012/05/support_for_cece_mcdonald_plea_deal.html">If only things were that simple.</a></p>
<p>Tune in to watch the full episode this Friday at 10 pm EST on ABC.</p>
<p><strong>Previously:</strong> <a href="/post/end-of-gender-hard-wired-debate-biology-sex-science-feminism">"Hard-Wired" Debate is Hard to Swallow</a>, <a href="/post/end-of-gender-his-n-hers-n-hens-pronouns-sweden-feminism">His n' Hers n' Hens</a></p>
http://bitchmagazine.org/post/what-would-you-do-transphobia-chaz-bono-media#commentsABCChaz Bonoreality tvTVThu, 03 May 2012 19:12:13 +0000Malic White16628 at http://bitchmagazine.orgVisi(bi)lity: America’s Next Top Bi Icon: Introducing Laura LaFratehttp://bitchmagazine.org/post/visibility-america%E2%80%99s-next-top-bi-icon-introducing-laura-lafrate
<p><img style="float: left; margin: 10px;" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7041/6983695681_4e06ccbb40.jpg" alt="A blonde woman in a room full of models and photographers is talking to Jay Manuel, "America's Next Top Model" photo shoot director. She is dressed in Madonna's iconic "Like A Virgin" attire." height="233" width="338" />I have never been much of a reality television viewer, and any lingering desire I may have had to watch reality shows disappeared after I read Jennifer Pozner's <a href="/post/are-you-watching-reality-rehab" target="_blank"><em>Reality Bites Back</em></a> earlier this year. But as soon as I heard about the new season of <em>America's Next Top Model</em>, I realized I had to give it a shot. That's because Cycle 18 of <em>ANTM</em> features not one, but TWO openly queer women. And one of them is bi-identified Laura LaFrate.</p>
<p>Laura describes herself as a "true bisexual." In particular, she mentions that she finds androgynous women very attractive, including AzMarie, Cycle 18's lesbian contestant. Laura's sexuality is one of the first things we learn about her, and in a way that's good, because it's clear that she's proud to stand up as who she is. My focus in this series is bisexual visibility, and having a contestant on a hugely popular reality show directly assert her bisexuality on Day One definitely counts.</p>
<p>My fear, though, is that by labeling her as The Bisexual right away, Laura's sexuality will be used as a sensationalistic pull. This is reality television, after all, and <em>ANTM</em> is all about sensationalism. (This season also featured <em>ANTM</em>'s first Native American contestant, and needless to say, <a href="http://nativeappropriations.blogspot.com/2012/03/oh-antm-where-do-i-even-start-mariah.html" target="_blank">the show portrayed her incredibly problematically</a>.) As a very infrequent viewer of <em>ANTM</em>, I don't know how the show has depicted queerness in the past. But I do know that the reality genre has big difficulties in addressing bisexuality.</p>
<p>Just take a look at MTV's <em>A Shot at Love</em> series. <em>A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila</em> ran for two seasons, and <em>A Double Shot at Love</em>, featuring <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikki_Twins" target="_blank">the Ikki Twins</a>, ran for a third. To my knowledge, these are the only reality dating shows that have focused specifically on bisexual women, and all three seasons featured straight men and lesbians for the bi bachelorettes to choose from. (Don't even get me started on how unhelpful reasserting that gender binary is for bisexuals.) Unfortunately, <em>A Shot at Love</em> is remembered for completely exploiting and scandalizing bisexuality. Moreover, each season reaffirmed the stereotype that bisexual women uniformly end up in heterosexual relationships; <a href="http://geeksdreamgirl.com/2010/09/20/the-lesbian-never-wins-bisexuality-and-reality-tv/" target="_blank">a male contestant "won" every season</a>. (Tila Tequila did choose a woman, Kristy, at the end of <em>A Shot at Love 2</em>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Shot_at_Love_II_with_Tila_Tequila#Eliminations" target="_blank">but Kristy rejected her, stating that she wasn't ready to have a relationship with a woman</a>.) Granted, <em>A Shot at Love</em> is only one show, but it is the most well-known reality show to address bisexuality, and it certainly makes the possibility of realistic portrayals of bisexuality in the genre look bleak.</p>
<p>But back to Laura and <em>ANTM</em>. Though the way reality shows are edited make it challenging to know what, precisely, is really going on, so far, the characterization of Laura seems to be fair. Of course, <em>ANTM</em> loves reminding us how sexually liberated she is (She goes skinny dipping with AzMarie and other girls during the first night! She dresses up as Madonna for the first photoshoot!), but that in itself isn't a bad thing. The show also makes it perfectly clear that she's a talented professional, and that she is serious competition for the rest of the contestants. She is well-liked by the other contestants; other than one moment in the first episode when fellow contestant Annaliese confesses that Laura's sexual openness is "making me slightly uncomfortable," none of the models appear to have problems with Laura, due to her sexuality or otherwise. Additionally, her photos always rank highly and receive praise, and the judges deem her easy to work with. <em>ANTM</em> has a habit of depicting women in terrible ways, so the characterization of Laura is actually really refreshing.</p>
<p>It is too early in the season (episode three aired last night) to judge whether Laura will ultimately be portrayed as a role model for young and impressionable bi viewers, or if she will fall victim to the negative bi stereotypes that fill the media in general and reality television specifically. But I'll stay tuned to find out. Here's hoping I'll be pleasantly surprised.</p>
<p><strong>Related:</strong> <a href="http://geeksdreamgirl.com/2010/09/20/the-lesbian-never-wins-bisexuality-and-reality-tv/" target="_blank">The Lesbian Never Wins: Bisexuality and Reality TV </a></p>
<p><strong>Previously:</strong> <a href="/post/visibility-in-praise-of-callie-torres-bisexuality-feminism" target="_blank">In Praise of Callie Torres</a>, <a href="/post/visibility-biphobia-bingo-a-look-at-basic-instinct-feminist-film" target="_blank">Biphobia Bingo! A Look at Basic Instinct</a></p>
http://bitchmagazine.org/post/visibility-america%E2%80%99s-next-top-bi-icon-introducing-laura-lafrate#commentsA Shot at LoveAmerica's Next Top Modelbisexualbisexual visibilitybisexualityIkki TwinsLaura LaFratereality tvtelevisionTila TequilaVisi(bi)litySex and SexualityThu, 15 Mar 2012 20:10:20 +0000Carrie Nelson15827 at http://bitchmagazine.orgThe 99%: Why the Real Housewives of Atlanta Aren’t "Our Kind of People"http://bitchmagazine.org/post/the-99-real-housewives-of-atlanta-aren%E2%80%99t-our-kind-of-people-feminism-class-television
<p><img style="float: left;" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT5Mvg8SjauDdRfsJKNjjjFpOdvJT1zJICYqdSmHkTfMn4ah8X54dgZWwbf" alt="The women of real housewives of Atlanta" hspace="10" /></p>
<p>Few women of color are allowed to represent themselves on television with much nuance; frequently they are reduced to <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780300165418" target="_blank">stock characters like mammies and Jezebels</a> that deny them full, complex humanity. &nbsp;Successful women of color are slammed with stereotypes of the "Angry Black Woman" or are forced to represent all women of their race as impossibly perfect standard-bearers.</p>
<p>Within this all of this, the <em>Real Housewives of Atlanta</em>&nbsp;become caricatured and over-representative of what we think wealthy black women should look like.</p>
<p>The fact that Atlanta was chosen as the setting for the one&nbsp;<em>Real Housewives</em>&nbsp;series with a majority-black cast is no accident (just as surely as the <a href="http://www.theroot.com/views/dance-race-and-social-grace-real-housewives-dc">DC housewives being majority-white in a mostly black city</a> was no accident). "There is no major metropolitan area that has a better-organized black upper class than the city of Atlanta, writes Lawrence Otis Graham in&nbsp;<em><a href="http://books.google.com/books/about/Our_kind_of_people.html?id=_FWTEBzgNdcC">Our Kind of People: Inside America's Black Upper Class</a>.</em>&nbsp;"Exerting its power in the worlds of politics, business, and academia, Atlanta's black elite sets that gold standard for its counterparts in other cities."&nbsp; Said one of Graham's interviewees: "These people [the members of the black upper class in Atlanta] will stare you in the face after you've told them of your great accomplishments… and the only thing that will matter to them is who in your family went to Morehouse, and for how many generations your family has lived in Atlanta."</p>
<p>One can't help but feel the&nbsp;<em><a href="/post/real-housewives-more-problems">Real Housewives of Atlanta</a></em>&nbsp;wouldn't quite make the cut based on that description—yet these women are some of the few examples of black affluence that we see on television. &nbsp;With so few shows having real racial and ethnic inclusivity, and with the <a href="http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2011/07/26/wealth-gaps-rise-to-record-highs-between-whites-blacks-hispanics/">wealth gap between white people and people of color continuing to broaden</a>, this is a misrepresentation in several ways.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.whattamisaid.com/2009/08/whats-worse-rhoa-or-race-based.html">To quote from the blog <em>What Tami Said</em></a>, <em>Housewives</em>&nbsp;have become the center of problematic discussions around black womanhood and wealth—not just on the show, but certainly in the way many people <em>talk</em>&nbsp;about the show and perceive the women on it:</p>
<blockquote><p>As far as I can tell, nearly all of the <em>Real Housewives</em> are bullying, narcissistic, back-stabbing, money-grubbing, cliquey, disloyal, arrogant, self-involved, willfully ignorant, poorly spoken, wasteful and tackily nouveau riche. It makes for good television. But the Orange County, New York and New Jersey wives are not seen as representative of white culture or white womanhood. They are not discussed using racialized terms. And no white folks are spending time being embarrassed by their hijinks. By contrast, the Atlanta dysfunction is positioned as uniquely black, confirmation of a host of stereotypes about poor, ignorant, urban people; loud, angry black women; and shiftless black men with myriad baby mamas.</p></blockquote>
<p>Melissa Harris Perry also discusses this concept in <em><a href="http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-9780300165418-0">Sister Citizen</a></em>, regarding fictive kinship, defined as the reciprocal social and economic relationships within communities of color: "If one's sense of self is connected to the positive accomplishments of other African Americans," she says, "then it is also linked to stereotypes and other negative portrayals of that race."&nbsp; In other words, white women aren't embarrassed <a href="/post/sometimes-the-real-housewives-are-a-little-too-real">when the <em>Real Housewives of Beverly Hills</em>&nbsp;behave badly</a>, but women of color very well might be when the&nbsp;<em>Real Housewives of Atlanta</em>&nbsp;do the exact same thing. We see disproportionately few representations of women of color in popular television, with even fewer of wealthy women of color (the First Lady, Oprah, and a select few within the music and entertainment industries being the notable exceptions). White viewers have other images of white women to counter problematic ones. Black audiences have few such counterpoints.</p>
<p>The picture gets even fuzzier when you consider race <em>and</em> class.&nbsp; Most viewers understand that the housewives in Orange County and New York City are not the "real upper class," because we know there's a different kind of white upper class that we<em>&nbsp;</em>see represented elsewhere.&nbsp; The black upper class, though, is harder to find. &nbsp;Even the fictional representations of black affluence that were on air in the 1980s and '90s have become less visible. &nbsp;Some of the most widely known and longest-running television shows featuring mostly black casts have told stories of affluence: the upwardly mobile entrepreneur on&nbsp;<em>The Jeffersons</em>, the doctor and lawyer parents on&nbsp;<em>The Cosby Show</em>, the mostly privileged college students on&nbsp;<em>A Different World</em>, the street-smart kid transplanted to a wealthy neighborhood on&nbsp;<em>Fresh Price of Bel Air</em>.&nbsp; These shows didn't ignore broader discussions of race and racism:&nbsp;<em>The Jeffersons</em>&nbsp;addressed the legacies of slavery and Jim Crow that had profound implications for the characters' poor beginnings;&nbsp;<em>A Different World</em>&nbsp;dealt with race, class, and gender relations head on, discussing fraught subjects like date rape, the ERA, HIV/AIDS, and the Clarence Thomas hearings.&nbsp; These shows set the bar high, not just in terms of diversity, but in regards to social commentary and humor generally.&nbsp; Still, by virtue of their affluence, most of the characters represented a narrow facet of the black American experience.</p>
<p>Today's <em>Real Housewives</em>, by virtue of their excessive wealth rather than mere upper-middle class stability,&nbsp;represent an even narrower demographic. &nbsp;When one of the few shows that overtly portrays black wealth (<em><a href="http://www.racialicious.com/2011/08/01/all-we-are-gonna-say-about-basketball-wives/">Basketball Wives</a></em>&nbsp;is another) is mostly a montage of "catfights" and shopping sprees, it is problematic. Without counterpoints, misrepresentations like these feed the narrative that black people "<a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/07/19/996312/-Bachmann-Spits-It-Out-Black-People-Dont-Deserve-Government-Money-Updated">don't deserve</a>" or "<a href="http://madamenoire.com/117383/lifestyles-of-the-dumb-and-famou-celeb-bankruptcy/">can't handle</a>" money.</p>
<p>In <em><a href="http://books.google.com/books/about/Our_kind_of_people.html?id=_FWTEBzgNdcC">Our Kind of People</a></em>, author Graham describes the community of black elites in Atlanta. These families didn't deal with sitting in the back of the bus (because they had cars) or segregated schools (because they went to private ones), but they still accumulated wealth in a divisive, racist society.&nbsp; Their children belonged to <a href="http://jackandjillinc.org/">Jack and Jill</a>.&nbsp; Their mothers went to Spelman and Fisk and their fathers went to Howard or Morehouse.&nbsp; Both parents were members of black sororities (AKAs , Deltas) and fraternities (Sigma Pi Phi, the Guardsmen). These examples more closely align with what we think of when we consider the traditional, usually white, upper class in the US, and they carry connotations of respectability and prestige—but we don't see this variant of black wealth. &nbsp;We see the <em>Real Housewives</em>&nbsp;and, because of their shortcomings and the lack of alternate representations, feel free judge all black women accordingly.</p>
<p>None of this is meant to imply that the examples in <em>Our Kind of People </em>are somehow better than others because of their exclusivity (they aren't), or that&nbsp;wealthy black Americans don't face racism (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Louis_Gates_arrest_controversy">they do</a>, all the time), or that affluent people of color enjoy the same level of class privilege as their white counterparts (<a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/wealth/2011/08/02/affluent-african-americans-live-in-poorer-neighborhoods-than-middle-class-whites/">they don't</a>), or that we should pity the very rich <em>Housewives</em> who don't meet the class hierarchical criteria of an old vanguard (we shouldn't).&nbsp;&nbsp; But the way women of color are represented in our culture is so very flawed that we really must consider the ways social class plays into these harmful stereotypes in order to thoroughly unpack the racism at the core.</p>
<p>So, what's the biggest problem?&nbsp; That people of color in this country are disproportionately poor, while people on television are disproportionately white and wealthy?&nbsp; That the <em>Real Housewives</em> are turned into representatives for all black women?&nbsp; That we don't see more representations of black wealth to counteract what is shown on reality television?&nbsp; I don't know, and I don't know that scrapping the entire <em>Real Housewives</em> franchise once and for all will fix things.&nbsp; But I do know that this show (and the racist discourse surrounding it) does a disservice to all women, but particularly black women, and to black Americans of all socioeconomic backgrounds.</p>
<p><strong>Previously:</strong> <a href="/post/the-99-the-trashy-people-trash-talking-on-trash-television-or-jersey-shore" target="_blank">Trashy People Talking Trash on Trash Television, or Jersey Shore</a>, <a href="/post/the-99-%E2%80%9Cthere%E2%80%99s-always-money-in-the-banana-stand%E2%80%9D-class-passing-on-arrested-development-television-feminism" target="_blank">"There's Always Money in the Banana Stand": Class Passing on Arrested Development</a></p>
http://bitchmagazine.org/post/the-99-real-housewives-of-atlanta-aren%E2%80%99t-our-kind-of-people-feminism-class-television#commentsreality tvsocial classThe Real Housewives of AtlantaTVWed, 18 Jan 2012 18:00:49 +0000Gretchen Sisson14749 at http://bitchmagazine.org